From NYTimes.com: The Justice Department on Thursday announced the arrests of more than 1,600 fugitive sex offenders as part of a weeklong roundup, the largest number ever arrested in a single operation.

In all, federal, state and local authorities in 24 states east of the Mississippi arrested more than 10,700 fugitives last week, including 140 people wanted on murder warrants, 232 for firearms violations, and 3,600 on drug charges. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales called the group “the worst of the worst,” with particular priority given to capturing unregistered and wanted sex offenders who he said posed a “serious threat to our children.”

Mr. Gonzales said in response to a question at a news conference that there was no political motivation behind the arrests and that the Justice Department “played no role in the timing of this program,” less than a week before the midterm elections. Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]